Vampires of El Norte

Set in 1837 Mexico, Cañas’s (The Hacienda) latest is a historical horror that promises vampires but also delivers romance. As children, Nena and Néstor are the best of friends, even though they come from different worlds; Nena is the daughter of a wealthy Mexican rancher, and Néstor’s family works the rancher’s land. One fateful night, a strange creature attacks the two friends. Thinking Nena dead and feeling responsible, Néstor flees and never looks back. Nine years later, when war breaks out between Mexico and the United States, Néstor returns and is shocked to find that Nena survived. Their reunion is complicated by the coming war and the presence of monsters, both earthly and supernatural. Cañas weaves together elements from Westerns, historical fiction, and vampiric horror to create this vibrant tapestry, but it’s the romance that shines, thanks in part to skilled narrators Jose Nateras and Krysta Gonzales. They relay the story’s events through Nena’s and Néstor’s viewpoints and inject their words with simmering desire tempered by the acknowledgment of adult responsibilities.